Struggling Celtic star can be helped by Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton exits

It’s always sad to see players leaving Celtic. And the news of the exits for Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton was a particularly hard one as both had spent almost a decade at the club. It was good to see them leaving on top though, as Champions of Scotland once again. On the other hand, their departures could help open the door back into the first-team for one midfielder.

Perhaps the chance to take a step forward with Rogic and Bitton leaving, is for Yosuke Ideguchi. Guchi, as he prefers to be known as, has been pretty much overshadowed by the other signings who arrived in the January transfer window.

The likes of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley have all been able to make a stronger impact on the first-team picture. Guchi, on the other hand, was hampered early on by an injury which took a few weeks of recovery. Since then, the Japanese midfielder has been on the fringes of the squad, and barely gotten chances to make a real impression.

But with the upcoming departures of Rogic and Bitton now announced, there are midfield gaps to fill for Celtic in their squad. Pre-season may be the ideal time to test whether Guchi is ready to step in.

Can Guchi step in for Celtic with Bitton and Rogic leaving?

Rogic and Bitton, between them, provided creativity and strength in the middle of the park. With David Turnbull and Matt O’Riley being more suitable to cover Rogic further up in midfield, Guchi may be helpful cover for the more defensive midfield role.

At times, when the Celtic midfield is under pressure, it can feel as though Callum McGregor is the only player who can break up the play, tackle back effectively and redistribute the ball effectively when it’s won back.

Guchi in his early, though limited, appearances seemed very capable of that type of role. He must have been signed by Ange Postecoglou in January with a purpose, but till now we have not had the chance to see him fulfil that. Let’s see if that changes next season.